ED470034 2002-11-00 Why Should

Principals Support School Libraries?

ERIC Digest.

ERIC Development Team

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Why Should Principals Support School Libraries? ERIC Digest........... 1

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT................................................... 2

ADMINISTRATOR SUPPORT................................................4

HOW CAN PRINCIPALS SUPPORT LIBRARIES?....................... 4

FINDING ASSISTANCE....................................................... 5

REFERENCES.................................................................. 6

ERIC Identifier: ED470034

Publication Date: 2002-11-00

Author: Hartzell, Gary

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology Syracuse NY.

Why Should Principals Support School

Libraries? ERIC Digest.

THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT

ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC

Principals should support school libraries because it is in both their students' and their

own best interests to do so. Quality library media programs can enhance student

ED470034 2002-11-00 Why Should Principals Support School Libraries? ERIC Digest. Page 1 of 9
achievement, and informed, committed librarians can help principals enhance their own

administrative practice.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Improving student achievement is a vital principal interest, but many principals overlook

libraries and librarians as potentially powerful instruments in that work because they

have not been educated to the library's value and library media research rarely appears

in administrator publications (Wilson & Blake, 1993). Consequently, principals often

leave library potential untapped despite fifty years of research evidence that effective

library media programs-when led by active, involved librarians-can have a discernible

positive impact on student achievement regardless of student, school and community

demographics.

The evidence is drawn from elementary, middle, and high school studies reaching back

to the 1950s. While the volume of evidence alone is cumulatively persuasive, the most

recent research is especially powerful because its authors statistically controlled for

demographic differences among the schools they studied-a feature missing in the

pre-1990 research. This is important because the evidence is largely derived from

statistical correlation studies, which cannot unequivocally prove causation. Correlation

research can, however, identify relationships and degrees of association among

variables. Cause-and-effect probability is strengthened if similar correlations appear in

multiple settings over time, which is what occurs here.

While the volume of evidence alone is cumulatively persuasive, the most recent

research--especially the recent work by Lance and his associates in Colorado (Lance,

2001; Lance & Loertscher, 2001) and by Smith (2001) in Texas--is particularly powerful

because its authors statistically controlled for demographic differences among the

schools they studied, a feature missing from the pre-1990 research. Their research

identifies statistically significant positive correlation's between student achievement

levels on various types of standardized measures and library media services and school

librarians displaying the following eleven characteristics:

Media Services Program Characteristics

1. Large, varied, and up-to-date collections.

2. One or more full-time qualified librarians.

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3. Library support staff large enough and skilled enough to free certificated librarians

from routine clerical duties and to allow them time to teach, to collaborate with teachers,

and to engage in leadership activities outside of the library.

4. Free student and teacher access to the library during and beyond school hours.

5. Networked computers providing student and faculty access to catalogs, licensed

databases, and the Internet.

6. Budget adequate to support the previous five items.

7. Staff commitment to teaching.

8. Individual student library use well beyond scheduled class visitations.

9. Information literacy instruction integrated into the curriculum. Librarian Characteristics

10. Extensively collaborates with teachers.

11. Extensively involved in curricular, organizational, and operational school leadership

activities outside of the library.

Of particular interest is the recent evidence (Lance & Loertscher, 2001) that the positive

effects of library media programs increase when the librarian's traditional role is

expanded to include involvement well beyond the library. One great barrier to full library

utilization is a lack of faculty awareness of what the library and librarian have to offer.

Exposure to and experience working with effective school librarians is a first step in

correcting that deficiency.

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ED470034 2002-11-00 Why Should Principals Support School Libraries? ERIC Digest. Page 3 of 9
ADMINISTRATOR SUPPORT

Role expansion allows librarians to deliver additional important services, such as

research support for administrators. Freed from clerical duties and aware of developing

challenges and opportunities through their extra-library involvement, librarians can draw

on the Internet and subscription databases to supply principals with up-to-the-minute

information on any given topic in planning sessions and prior to any board, faculty,

parent, or business partner meeting. Consistent access to such information can only

result in improved administrative decision-making.

Librarians also can support targeted faculty and student groups, including counselors

(White & Wilson, 1997), beginning teachers (Barron, 1998), and at-risk (Bluemel &

Taylor, 1991), latchkey (Feldman, 1990), and special needs youngsters (Wesson &

Keefe, 1995).

HOW CAN PRINCIPALS SUPPORT LIBRARIES?

Principals determine school library media program quality as much as librarians do

(Haycock, 1999; Oberg, 1995; Oberg, Hay, & Henri, 2000) because they influence or

control each of the eleven factors listed above. Collection size, currency, service hours,

staff size, and the employment of full-time qualified librarians and adequate support staff

all are tied to the principal's budgeting decisions.

As important as money is, however, it's not the only measure of support. Equally

important is the principal's role in creating a school environment where student library

use and faculty/librarian interaction are valued and promoted (Campbell & Cordiero,

1996; Wilson & Lyders, 2001). For example, the librarian's opportunity to collaborate

with teachers depends on the school schedule, which the principal controls (McGregor,

2002; van Dusen & Tallman, 1994) and on how effectively principals encourage

collaboration among faculty members. Teachers collaborate more with other teachers

and with librarians when principals openly encourage the practice in word and deed

(Haycock, 1999; Oberg, 1997; Pounder, 1998; Tallman & van Dusen, 1994a; Tallman &

van Dusen, 1994b). How often students use the library similarly follows how well

principals encourage faculty/librarian collaboration and their willingness to financially

support services beyond regular school hours. As instructional and curriculum leaders,

principals also powerfully affect the extent to which information literacy instruction is

embedded in the body of the school's curriculum and how the school addresses

meeting state standards in varying disciplines.

Perhaps nowhere is a principal's power to affect library media programs more apparent

than in the extent to which the librarian has the opportunity to serve in a leadership

capacity outside the library itself. Principals structure and populate the committees,

teams, and task forces that recommend and implement school policy and practice

changes. Principals decide who will have the opportunity to take part in

boundary-spanning activities to interact with district-level committees, parent groups,

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Page 4 of 9 ED470034 2002-11-00 Why Should Principals Support School Libraries? ERIC Digest.
business partners, and community organizations (Hoy & Miskel, 2001; Morris, Crowson,

Porter-Gehie, & Hurwitz, 1984). An active and committed librarian may be eager to

engage in these activities, but will not have the chance unless the principal wills it. This

is a particularly important point because many principals do not perceive librarians as

potential faculty leaders (Schon, Helmstadter, & Robinson, 1991).

The school library media elements that foster increased student achievement are

interactive and their effects are cumulative. Even under optimum conditions, none is

sufficient in itself. External leadership opportunities won't increase faculty interaction

opportunities if the library is impoverished. The most extensive collection will not

produce maximal achievement results unless qualified librarians and support staff are

available to help students and teachers use it. Enrichment services to targeted groups

and administrative research support cannot be delivered if librarians are saddled with

clerical duties. Principal support must be broad-based and multi-dimensional.

Albert Einstein is reputed to have said that problems cannot be solved using the same

thinking that created them. How then can principals best support their libraries?

* Educate themselves to library and librarian potential.

* Reconfigure the librarian's job to maximize realization of that potential.

* Hire high-quality, forward-looking, energetic, innovative librarians.

* Provide budget resources adequate to new roles and demands.

* Effectively and accurately evaluate both the program and the librarian on jointly

developed criteria recognizing library media work as simultaneously integral to

instructional quality but distinct from classroom teaching itself.

FINDING ASSISTANCE

Principals interested in developing their libraries as instruments of school improvement

can ask their librarians to assemble a research collection to share with board members,

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ED470034 2002-11-00 Why Should Principals Support School Libraries? ERIC Digest. Page 5 of 9
district administration, and faculty. Ireland's (2001) regularly updated annotated

bibliography of school library and academic achievement research is a useful starting

point. Several ERIC digests (Lance, 2001; Lowe, 2000; Russell, 2000, for example) also

point to original sources. A number of useful books (such as Lance & Loertscher, 2001;

McQuillan, 1998; Wilson & Lyders, 2001) similarly identify and summarize research

findings.

REFERENCES

Barron, D. (1998). In the beginning: Resources for school library media specialists

helping new teachers. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 15 (2), 46-50. (ERIC

Document Reproduction Service No. EJ 577 807)

Bluemel, S., & Taylor, R. (1991). Current status of Texas library media specialists'

intervention with at-risk students. Paper presented at the annual conference of the

Texas Library Association. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 335 046)

Campbell, B. S., & Cordiero, P. A. (1996). High school principal roles and

implementation themes for mainstreaming information literacy instruction. Paper

presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association,

New York City. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 399 667)

Feldman, S. (1990). The library and the latchkey. ERIC Digest. (ERIC Document

Reproduction Service No. ED 331 512)

Haycock, K. (1999). Fostering collaboration, leadership, and information literacy:

Common behaviors of uncommon principals and faculties. NASSP Bulletin, 83 (605),

82-87. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ 585 580)

Hoy, W. K., & Miskel, C. G. (2001). Educational administration: Theory, research, and

practice (6th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Ireland, L. H. (2001). The impact of school library services on student academic

achievement: An annotated bibliography (5th ed.). (ERIC Document Reproduction

Service No. ED 450 807)

Lance, K. C. (2001). Proof of the power: Recent research on the impact of school library

media programs on the academic achievement of U.S. public school students. ERIC

Digest. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 456 861). Available online:

http://ericit.org/digests/EDO-IR-2001-05.pdf

Lance, K. C., & Loertscher, D. V. (2001). Powering achievement: School library media

programs make a difference - The evidence. San Jose, CA: Hi Willow Research &

Publishing.

Lowe, C. A. (2000). The role of the school library media specialist in the 21st century.

www.eric.ed.gov ERIC Custom Transformations Team

Page 6 of 9 ED470034 2002-11-00 Why Should Principals Support School Libraries? ERIC Digest.
ERIC Digest. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 446 769). Available

online: http://ericit.org/digests/EDO-IR-2000-08.shtml

McGregor, J. (2002). Flexible scheduling: How does a principal facilitate

implementation? School Libraries Worldwide, 8 (1), 71-84.

McQuillan, J. (1998). The literacy crisis. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Morris, V., Crowson, C., Porter-Gehrie, C., &Hurwitz, E. Jr. (1984). Principals in action:

The reality of managing schools. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill.

Oberg, D. (1995). Principal support: What does it mean to teacher librarians? In

Sustaining the vision: Selected papers from the annual conference of the International

Association of School Librarianship, Worcester, England (pp. 17-25). Kalamazoo, MI:

International Association of School Librarianship. (ERIC Document Reproduction

Service No. ED 400 834). Available online:

http://www.slis.ualberta.ca/oberg_support.htm

Oberg, D. (1997). The principal's role in empowering collaboration between

teacher-librarians and teachers: Research findings. Scan, 16 (3), 6-8.

Oberg, D., Hay, L., & Henri, J. (2000). The role of the principal in an information literate

school community: Cross-country comparisons from an international research project.

School Library Media Research, Vol. 3. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ

618 497). Available online at:

http://www.ala.org/aasl/SLMR/vol3/principal2/principal2.html

Pounder, D. G. (Ed.) (1998). Restructuring schools for collaboration: Promises and

pitfalls. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

Russell, S. (2000). Teachers and librarians: Collaborative relationships. ERIC Digest.

(ERIC Reproduction Service No. ED 444 605). Available online:

http://ericit.org/digests/EDO-IR-2000-06.shtml

Schon, I., Helmstadter, G. C., & Robinson, D. (1991). The role of school library media

specialists. School Library Media Quarterly, 19 (4), 228-233. (ERIC Document

Reproduction Service No. EJ 433 168)

Smith, E. G. (2001). Texas school libraries: Standards, resources, services, and

students' performance. Austin, TX: Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 455 850). Available online:

http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/pubs/schlibsurvey/index.html

Tallman, J. I., & van Dusen, J. D. (1994a). Collaborative unit planning--schedule, time

and participants. School Library Media Quarterly, 23 (1), 33-37. (ERIC Document

ERIC Resource Center www.eric.ed.gov

ED470034 2002-11-00 Why Should Principals Support School Libraries? ERIC Digest. Page 7 of 9
Reproduction Service EJ 493 343)

Tallman, J. I., & van Dusen, J. D. (1994b). External conditions as they relate to

curriculum consultation and information skills instruction by school library media

specialists. School Library Media Quarterly, 23 (1), 27-31. (ERIC Document

Reproduction Service No. EJ 493 342)

van Dusen, J. D., & Tallman, J. I. (1994). The impact of scheduling on curriculum

consultation and information skills instruction. School Library Media Quarterly, 23 (1),

17-25. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. EJ 493 341)

Wesson, C., & Keefe, M. (Eds.) (1995). Serving special needs students in the school

library media center. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. (ERIC Document Reproduction

Service No. ED 385 999)

White, M., & Wilson, P. (1997). School counselors and teacher-librarians: A necessary

partnership for effective schools. Emergency Librarian, 25 (1), 8-13. (ERIC Document

Reproduction Service No. EJ 552 633)

Wilson, P. J., & Blake, M. (1993). The missing piece: A school library media center

component in principal-preparation programs. Record in Educational Leadership, 12 (2),

65-68.

Wilson, P. P., & Lyders, J. A. (2001). Leadership for today's school library: A handbook

for the library media specialist and the school principal. Westport, CT: Greenwood

Press.

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HE AUTHOR

Gary Hartzell, a former high school principal, is Professor of Educational Administration

and Supervision at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. A keynote speaker at the

White House Conference on School Libraries in June 2002 and a member of the

Advisory Board for the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries, Professor

Hartzell works to bring the school library to administrator's attention through numerous

conference presentations, articles and books. He is the author of Building Influence for

the School Librarian (Linworth, 1994) and two related books forthcoming in 2004 by

Libraries Unlimited.

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ERIC Digests are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced and disseminated.

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Title: Why Should Principals Support School Libraries? ERIC Digest.

Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs)

(071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);

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Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Administrator Effectiveness, Administrator

Responsibility, Administrator Role, Administrators, Educational Administration,

Elementary Secondary Education, Library Development, Principals, Program

Development, School Libraries

Identifiers: ERIC Digests

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